HKIE-accreditation makes the professional

ACADEMIC KNOWLEDGE and training may only constitute half of what it takes to be an engineer in Hong Kong. An 'official blessing' from the Hong Kong Institution of Engineers (HKIE) is the other part that marks an engineer as a professional in their field.

The HKIE is the professional body for every type of engineer in the territory, and it co-ordinates the training and assessment that is required for professional status.

Engineers across 18 separate disciplines - from biomedical engineering to marine and naval architecture - have to complete the three stages of the institution's Scheme A to qualify as one of its corporate members.

To enter the scheme you must have a degree - normally in engineering - either from an HKIE-accredited university programme in Hong Kong or abroad, on a programme covered by the Washington Accord, an international accreditation agreement.

The scheme is broadly the same across the 18 disciplines, with some minor variations. All students must complete a training position and then gain 'responsible' work experience in a job such as assistant engineer, for example.

Training positions last two or three years, followed by one or two years respectively in the posting with responsibility.

Training covers the development of the graduates' technical competence, management and communication skills, ethics and social awareness.